Sotheby's returns ancient stolen statue to Cambodia

Phnom Penh, May 8 (IANS) The New York-based auction house Sotheby's has delivered a 10th century statue of Hindu warrior Duryodhana to Cambodia, the Cambodian government said Thursday.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An made a special visit to the US to receive the ancient statue of Duryodhana Wednesday in New York city, Xinhua reported.

"This visit stresses the importance of the policy of the Royal Government of Cambodia to recover stolen ancient artifacts," it said.

The Duryodhana statue, valued at more than $2 million, was stolen in the 1970s from the Prasat Chen monument of Koh Ker temple complex in northern Cambodia.

In March 2011, Sotheby's placed the statue on the cover of its auction catalogue for Asia Week.

The dispute over the statue started when the Cambodian government asked Sotheby's to remove it from the auction list.

In April 2012, a US attorney filed a court action in federal court seeking confiscation of the statue and handing it back to Cambodia.

The court process lasted until December 2013 before Sotheby's decided to settle the case by agreeing to return the statue to Cambodia.